Iran Distributes Solar Panels to Nomads Under New Program

Iran has initiated a program aimed at providing portable solar panels to all nomadic households across the country, with participants only required to cover 10 percent of the cost.

Dariush Nematollahi, the Director-General for Production Improvement, revealed that since 2019, approximately 28,000 solar systems have been distributed, benefiting around 10 percent of Iran's 252,000 nomadic households. He further emphasised that with adequate funding, the program has the potential to electrify all nomadic households within three years. At present, just 10 percent of these families have access to portable solar systems, with an additional 2,000 units set for distribution through provincial power networks.

The initiative, carried out in collaboration with Tavanir and supervised by the Ministry of Energy, aims to ensure reliable electricity access for nomads nationwide. This expansion is part of Iran's broader push to diversify its energy sources and increase renewable energy capacity, particularly in underserved areas.Iran's solar farms have seen a significant increase in electricity generation. Iran's energy minister, Abbas Ali-Abadi, announced plans to add 4,000 MW to the country's solar capacity by March 2026, aiming to meet the growing demand for electricity.

The country's power network, which generates and consumes around 350 billion kWh of electricity annually, has the technical potential to absorb more than 30,000 MW of solar energy. The government is actively working to realise this potential through partnerships with the private sector, offering an attractive investment climate, and ensuring a suitable market for solar energy developers.

Currently, Iran's solar power plants have a combined capacity of 1,200 MW, but with ongoing developments, this figure is expected to increase to over 3,000 to 4,000 MW by next year. The government's commitment to renewable energy is evident in its strategic efforts to balance electricity supply and demand, with solar and other renewable sources playing a key role in this transition.

Additionally, Iran's renewable energy capacity is expected to grow by 500 MW by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 2025). This will bring the country's total renewable power capacity to 1,871 MW. Ali Shabnavard, the Director-General of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organisation (SATBA), noted that 53 MW was added to the national renewable capacity just last week, underscoring the government's rapid progress in expanding renewable energy infrastructure.

Further, the Iranian Energy Ministry has set ambitious goals to add 10,000 MW to the country's renewable energy capacity by the end of 2025. In a bid to accelerate this growth, the government has diversified financing models for renewable energy projects, increased the ceiling for guaranteed electricity purchases, and facilitated the trading of renewable electricity on the Iran Energy Exchange (IRENEX). These measures are designed to attract both domestic and international investors to the country's renewable energy sector.

Iran's government is also working on a major renewable energy expansion, with 600 new renewable power plants under construction, contributing a total capacity of 13,500 MW. Once operational, these plants will push Iran's share of renewable energy in its electricity production to 15 percent, a significant step toward achieving the country's long-term renewable energy goals.